(Fremont County, WY) With Wyoming’s open roads and wide open spaces, transportation is an essential part of connecting our communities, and no one knows this better than the Wind River Transportation Authority (WRTA), offering an economical alternative to getting from here to there.
“We love to get the word out about this,” said WRTA Manager Gary Michaud about the Share A Ride program, which was first created about six years ago out of the demand for airport shuttles. “NOLS students and instructors use this transportation often to get to Lander when they fly into Riverton or other airports…basically, if someone needs to get from somewhere in Wyoming to here, or from here to somewhere else, it is available.”
How Share A Ride works…
All booking arrangements are done online through the Share A Ride Wyoming website, where potential riders can view the fares and use the Reservation Calendar to plan and book their trip.
“Let’s say I’m coming in for NOLS and I want to get from the Riverton Airport to Lander,” Michaud said. “I look at the calendar, then call Share A Ride, they’ll give me a quote, and then if it’s something I want to do, they’ll put me on the calendar. Then say another person’s coming in at that same time. So now there’s already a shuttle scheduled…then they call Share A Ride; now, since there are two going, they share the costs. That’s where the term ‘share a ride’ comes from. The more people who ride, the less it costs.”
It is recommended that riders look at the calendar well ahead of time to prepare and book their rides. Reservations must be prepared in at least 48 hours and pre-paid 24 hours in advance. Cancellations also require a 24-hour notice. It is the rider’s responsibility to book the ride and keep in good communication with Share A Ride.
Because of its central location, WRTA encourages travelers and riders to use the Central Wyoming Regional Airport in Riverton. “Get in touch with us as far in advance as you can, because the last minute is very tough, and it’s not easy for us to find drivers in a split second,” Michaud said. “We try to be flexible and look at the flights, and keep track of the riders. We also really try to encourage people to use the airport in Riverton because it’s centrally located…it can be a difference between a 25-minute ride versus a 2.5-hour ride each way on the bus (from Jackson). People who are not from Wyoming don’t realize how far apart everything is.”
Destination Travel
Share A Ride busses can accommodate up to 30 riders and there are no limitations as far as far baggage or carry-ons. Destinations include Lander, Casper, Jackson, Rock Springs, Rawlins, Worland, Dubois, Denver, and Salt Lake City. The program is a good alternative for one-way destination travel, but not necessarily for gas savings, and there are no roundtrip fare options.
“It’s definitely for a certain type of rider, and really depends on what you’re doing,” Michaud said. “It’s more for people visiting for something like NOLS, or for those who know they’re going to be around for a bit longer than just a couple of days. We really enjoy the NOLS students and faculty…they always have interesting backgrounds and stories, and it’s fascinating to talk to them…they come from all over the world, so they’re here for a while. But if you want to like, take a day or weekend trip to Thermopolis, Share A Ride is really not built for that. In that case, you’d probably want to rent a car, or taking your own car would be the better option.”
Share A Ride has also been an alternative for those who need to get to Casper, Denver, or Salt Lake City for important health or medical appointments. “It can get pricey, but for the people it serves, it’s a good option because if they didn’t have us, what would they do?” Michael said.
WRTA Services
Besides Share A Ride and their regular fixed routes, WRTA also serves Head Start, Wind River Job Corps, and is ADA and wheelchair compliant. They also provide SafeRides for fairs, festivals, holiday celebrations, and several annual county events such as the recent Lander Brewfest. In partnership with the Fremont County DUI Taskforce, SafeRides is about reducing the rate of DUI-related vehicle deaths.
Michaud said that WRTA also offers special services for veterans, providing transportation to the National Museum of Military Vehicles in Dubois, as well as to veteran clinics around the state and beyond. “We really support our veterans, so if they’re needing a trip, whether it’s around here, or to Casper, Sheridan, Cheyenne, Salt Lake City, we’ll do whatever we can for them,” he said.
Michaud encourages Fremont County residents to consider the Share A Ride program and WRTA as alternative transportation options. “I have had my car break down before, and I was so thankful that I had the bus to ride,” he said. “Share A Ride is a real great service for Fremont County, and we’re just so glad that we can provide it here. There’s a lot of counties that have a lot more people than we do, and don’t have this type of service.”
For more information about Share A Ride, call 307-330-3322 or visit their website at sharearidewyoming.com, or visit the WRTA website at gowrta.com.